This Side of the Grave (#5 Night Huntress)
This Side of the Grave (#5 Night Huntress)
This Side of the Grave (#5 Night Huntress)
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streaks, coming back pink from <strong>the</strong> drops still shimmering on <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
“No matter what happens, you will never lose me,” he whispered. “I am forever yours, Kitten, in this life or <strong>the</strong> next.”<br />
A poignant sort <strong>of</strong> pain flowed over me, because I knew what he was promising with that statement, and what he wasn’t. Bones couldn’t swear<br />
that we’d never be separated. Being undead didn’t give any <strong>of</strong> us a claim on immortality; it just made us harder to kill. Unless Bones and I<br />
happened to be slain at <strong>the</strong> exact same time, one day, ei<strong>the</strong>r he or I would know <strong>the</strong> grief <strong>of</strong> being without <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r. I meant it when I said I wouldn’t<br />
want to go on if Bones were dead, but hard lessons from <strong>the</strong> past showed that I’d have to. Or Bones would have to go on without me. No matter how<br />
many enemies we defeated, or what impassioned promises we made to each o<strong>the</strong>r, this was <strong>the</strong> harsh reality.<br />
And maybe that reality was what my last few inner shields had been trying to protect me from. Admitting that I’d be irrevocably broken without<br />
Bones meant accepting that it would happen. One day, we’d be separated. Not by our will, or even through any potential fault <strong>of</strong> our own, but through<br />
<strong>the</strong> cold, merciless barrier <strong>of</strong> death. Unless we died fighting back to back, it would happen. I’d put <strong>of</strong>f being as open as Bones was about how he<br />
resided in every crevice <strong>of</strong> my heart because nothing scared me more than acknowledging that harsh, inevitable reality. Now that I finally had, <strong>the</strong><br />
strangest kind <strong>of</strong> relief flowed over me, covering even <strong>the</strong> pain.<br />
Holding back had done nothing to change <strong>the</strong> truth <strong>of</strong> how I felt, or <strong>of</strong> our inevitable circumstances. I’d only been fooling myself, but even worse<br />
than that, I was also cheating <strong>the</strong> time Bones and I did have toge<strong>the</strong>r. No one knew <strong>the</strong>ir own fate. We could have hundreds <strong>of</strong> years toge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
Thousands. Or only ten minutes before a meteor struck <strong>the</strong> house and vaporized me but missed him, for all we knew. Our time toge<strong>the</strong>r was finite,<br />
and that was all <strong>the</strong>re was to it.<br />
But now, I also finally understood what Bones already knew. Just because death would eventually separate us, that didn’t mean it would destroy<br />
what we had. I am forever yours, in this life or <strong>the</strong> next. Some things could penetrate even <strong>the</strong> formidable barrier <strong>of</strong> death, and love was one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
Even if death kept me from being with Bones for a while—or him from me—it couldn’t keep us apart forever. In <strong>the</strong> end, nothing could, and at long<br />
last, I understood that.<br />
“You’ll never get rid <strong>of</strong> me, ei<strong>the</strong>r,” I said, and my laughter came out thicker from tears. “No matter which side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> grave we’re on. I’ll haunt you,<br />
chase you all around eternity, whatever it takes, but it’s you and me until <strong>the</strong> stars burn out.”<br />
I barely had time to see his smile before his mouth moved over mine with slow, blistering intensity. It wasn’t <strong>the</strong> skillful way he kissed me that<br />
made my chest tighten as though my heart might start up again at any moment. It was <strong>the</strong> last wall falling down between us.<br />
“Bones,” I brea<strong>the</strong>d, long moments later when he lifted his head. “There’s something I want to do once this mess with Apollyon is over.”<br />
The seriousness <strong>of</strong> my tone made him pull back slightly. “What’s that, luv?”<br />
I whispered it to him, seeing his brows go up, his slight frown, and <strong>the</strong>n at last, his nod.<br />
“If that’s what you want.”<br />
I stared at him, more <strong>of</strong> that tightness swelling up in my chest.<br />
“It is.”<br />
Chapter Twenty-six<br />
Fabian came toward me. He couldn’t have smiled any wider if I was holding out a plate <strong>of</strong> ectoplasmic cookies, which, <strong>of</strong> course, I wasn’t,<br />
because to my knowledge, such a thing didn’t exist. I smiled back, giving Fabian an abbreviated version <strong>of</strong> a hug, which pretty much meant I put my<br />
arms in a half circle around <strong>the</strong> general area where he floated. From my peripheral vision, I saw Vlad roll his eyes, but I didn’t care. I hugged friends<br />
when I hadn’t seen <strong>the</strong>m in a while, and Fabian might not be solid, but he was still a friend.<br />
“Save one for me, too?” Dave asked, appearing behind <strong>the</strong> ghost.<br />
I laughed as I gave him a big squeeze next, this time feeling <strong>the</strong> person in my arms. Dave fluffed a handful <strong>of</strong> hair when he let me go, grinning as<br />
he took in my latest disguise.<br />
“With <strong>the</strong> new black hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin, you almost look a little bit Latina. Juan would need to be pried <strong>of</strong>f you if he saw you like<br />
this.”<br />
I let out a snort. “I doubt it. Juan acts a lot more respectful since he became a vampire. Hardly tries to grab my ass at all now. Guess because<br />
Bones already killed him once, Juan doesn’t want to provoke him into a repeat.”<br />
Just talking about Juan made me miss him, unrepentant pervert that he was, and that made me miss everyone else back at <strong>the</strong> compound, too. It<br />
also made me think <strong>of</strong> my uncle and mo<strong>the</strong>r with a fresh spurt <strong>of</strong> anxiety. It was a small <strong>of</strong>fense compared to what Apollyon intended to do, but I<br />
hated him for more than just using me to attempt to provoke a clash between ghouls and vampires. I also hated Apollyon for robbing me <strong>of</strong><br />
spending time with Don in what might turn out to be <strong>the</strong> last few months <strong>of</strong> his life, and for denying me more opportunities to talk sense into my<br />
irrational, death-tempting mo<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
I shook my head, clearing that out <strong>of</strong> my thoughts before I started to endlessly stew over my stubborn family. Dave said hello to Vlad and<br />
Mencheres, <strong>the</strong>n flopped onto <strong>the</strong> couch, looking tired. He didn’t have long before he had to get back, but he’d said this message was something